Davidson Hotel Company to Manage First B Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. and FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials of Davidson Hotel Company, one of the nation's largest independent hotel management companies, today announced that the company has been selected to manage the 240-room B Ocean Fort Lauderdale in Florida, the first property in the recently launched B Hotels & Resorts chain.  Based in South Florida, B Hotels & Resorts is an innovative brand alternative for the conversion of existing flagged and independent hotels.  B Ocean Fort Lauderdale is being developed by the InSite Group, a privately owned boutique real estate development and investment firm.

"B Hotels & Resorts is an exceptional and unique new brand, playing to our strengths as a full-service management company that specializes in conversions and upper upscale hotels," said John Belden, president and CEO of Davidson Hotel Company.  "As the flagship property for this new brand, the B Ocean Fort Lauderdale is well positioned to quickly become one of the area's premier destination hotels."

Located on the famed Fort Lauderdale Beach at Sunrise Boulevard and A1A, B Ocean Fort Lauderdale is minutes from the Las Olas arts and entertainment district, Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.  B Ocean Fort Lauderdale will open in December and is currently accepting group and event bookings and will host a grand opening celebration in early 2011.

"For any hotel to succeed, management is a number one priority; this is especially true  for the flagship hotel of a new brand," said Ben Shmul, President & CEO, InSite Group.  "Davidson's reputation and its proven operational expertise in the full-service segment make them the ideal management company to successfully launch our hotel."

"B Hotels is poised to become the desired alternative conversion choice for hoteliers in the upper upscale segment," said Chris Tompkins, B Hotels & Resorts corporate vice president of brand marketing.  "We firmly believe that under Davidson's guidance, the hotel will thrive in the marketplace and set the operational standard for our growing hotel brand."

B Ocean Fort Lauderdale's 240 guest rooms and suites feature a variety of unique accommodations, including two master suites, 22 B Enhanced junior suites and 54 rooms boasting floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning ocean views.  Each room and suite features the Blissful Bed – a signature bedding package from B Hotels & Resorts™, designer white leather front furnishings, a 37" or 40" HD LCD television, signature branded retail items, and more.

Additional amenities include SAIA, the hotel's signature sushi restaurant; B'Stro, an innovative food and wine concept; and Quench, a patio bar with an infinity style pool.  Ideal for corporate meetings, weddings and other events, the penthouse floor of B Ocean – B on Top™ features 8,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including the Infinity Ballroom, Horizons Junior Ballroom (which divides into three breakout rooms) and Impressions (a flexible pre-function meeting area).  

"Joel Darr has been named general manager of our newest property," Belden noted.  "For the past three years, Joel has served as general manager of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North, and prior to that, he was general manager at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott.  His in-depth knowledge of the local market makes him a strong choice to lead the hotel, and his energy and passion for service make him a perfect fit for both Davidson and the B Hotels culture."

About B Hotels & Resorts

B Hotels & Resorts™ is a new hotel brand alternative headquartered in South Florida.  The company's mission is to establish a fresh, innovative and approachable portfolio of upper upscale hotels that welcomes today's travelers, both business and leisure, by igniting a genuine emotional connection to the brand.  The company has defined a new genre in hospitality – Self-Expression.  With a flagship hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and future hotel, resort and boutique destinations planned globally, the brand incorporates today's common lifestyle characteristics with unique elements that appeal to a broad spectrum of guests.

To learn more about the brand, visit www.bhotelsandresorts.com.  B Ocean is currently accepting bookings for weddings, group meetings and catering.  To be first to experience B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, visit www.boceanfortlauderdale.com.

About InSite Group

Founded by Ben Shmul, InSite Group is a privately owned real estate development and investment firm with headquarters in southeast Florida.  InSite specializes in development and repositioning of opportunistic, distressed and value-added hospitality, residential and mixed-use properties.  InSite's target properties consist of well-located underperforming assets, which present the potential to gain significant value from their repositioning.  

About Davidson Hotel Company

Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Davidson Hotel Company is an award-winning, full-service hotel owner and third-party management company that provides management, development/renovation, acquisition, consulting and accounting expertise for the hospitality industry.  The company currently owns and/or manages 45 upscale, full-service independent and branded hotels with more than 12,800 rooms across the United States, including such affiliations as Hyatt, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, Renaissance, Hilton, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Radisson and Crowne Plaza.  Additional information on Davidson may be found at the company's Web site, www.davidsonhotels.com.

SOURCE Davidson Hotel Company